DeMarvin Leal disappointed to such an extent during his second season that he spent much of the second half of the year on the bench for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive line. Going into Year Three, the former third-round draft pick has a lot to prove. He has the athletic and physical ability to raise his game, but actually doing so is another matter.
For better or worse, the offseason is a time for speculation and theorization, leading to all sorts of predictions. One of the popular offseason features is the idea of “breakout” candidates—young and possibly underperforming players stepping up.